Sustainable funding round-up: July 2017

The Commission on the Donor Experience makes suggestions for fundraising improvement

The Institute of Fundraising is to take over the work of the Commission on the Donor Experience after the Commission published its final report, making recommendations on how to improve fundraising, to improve standards and move away from organisational self-interest. The highly detailed report is available online on SOFII.

News from The Fundraising Regulator

The Fundraising Regulator has been much in the news in recent weeks:

The Fundraising Preference Service (FPS), a website-based service enabling people to stop email, telephone calls, addressed post and/or text messages directed to them personally from a selected charity or charities, was launched by The Fundraising Regulator on 6 July 2017. The Charities Guide to FPS, published last year, is still a useful source of information.

Gerald Oppenheim, head of policy at the Fundraising Regulator, indicated that GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) was likely to necessitate ’50 or 60 changes to the Code of Fundraising Practice’.

Other fundraising and sustainability news

HMRC updates charities Gift Aid guidance

HMRC has updated its detailed guidance notes for charities on how the tax system operates. The guidance notes feature chapters on Gift Aid, applying for recognition as a charity for tax purposes, and payroll giving.

The Arts Council has cut funding to major arts bodies such as The Royal Opera House, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and the Southbank Centre and allocated more money to smaller companies outside London that can demonstrate a commitment to diversity and disadvantaged communities.

Charities could be missing out on £100m in legacy gifts, says report

As reported by Third Sector, the charity sector could be missing out on as much as £100m a year because people are leaving legacy gifts in a non-legally binding form, a survey of legacy officers and lawyers has found.

Training and events

Go to the training and events section of our website to see all our upcoming events. Highlights include:

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Richard Sved is an NCVO sustainable funding consultant. He has worked and volunteered in the charity sector for 25 years. He has led the fundraising function (in-house and as an interim) for six national charities, including National Literacy Trust, Leap Confronting Conflict and Girlguiding.